Argall Outspends Miller By A Big Margin In 124th

In the final leg of the race for the 124th Legislative District, four-term incumbent Republican David G. Argall outspent Democratic challenger Richard Miller $11,948 to $1,829.

Volunteers for David Argall reported that it collected $14,700, which it added to a $6,085 beginning balance. The Argall campaign was left with a $8,836 balance.

The Bi-Partisan Committee to Elect Richard Miller collected $590 in unitemized contributions and reported that Miller chipped in $2,000. That money was added to a $186 balance.

The Miller camp is left with $946 in its war chest. Miller reported that he collected nothing and spent $3,241.

Unitemized contributions of $50 or less accounted for $7,600, or 52 percent of all funds the Argall backers received. Argall neither collected nor spent money.

The Argall camp received $4,525, or 31 percent of all donations, from political action committees. Contributions from PACs included $75 from PP&L for Good Government, Allentown; $200 from the Foundrymen's Association, Plymouth Meeting; $150 from the Optometric PAC, Harrisburg; $100 from Penn PAC, Pottsville; $200 from the Chamber of Business and Industry, Harrisburg; $700 from the Medical PAC, Harrisburg; $200 from the Coal PAC, Harrisburg; $600 from LAWPAC, Harrisburg; $300 from the state Association of Builders and Contractors, Manheim; $300 from Meridian Bank Corp. PAC, Reading; and $500 from the Realtors PAC, Harrisburg.

Argall's biggest private donation, $400, came from Albert Evans Jr., a manager of West Trucking in Pottsville. Other individual contributions included $100 from Brian Rich of Gilberton, whose family is involved in Reading Anthracite; $100 from Rudy Valentine of Tamaqua; $100 from Loring Schoenhut of Orwigsburg, president of Leiby's Restaurant in South Tamaqua; and $200 from Tamaqua turkey farmers Mr. and Mrs. Lowell Koch.

Expenses listed in the report included $1,940 in donations or contributions, including $1,600 to the Schuylkill County GOP Committee, $200 to Citizens for Better Government in Lebanon, $100 to the House Republican Campaign Committee, $30 to the First United Methodist Church of Tamaqua and $10 to Marian Catholic High School in Hometown.

Miller's committee spent all of its $1,829 on advertising. Miller, in addition to giving his backers $2,000, spent $1,161 for posters and direct mailing. He also donated $30 to the committee backing Michael O'Pake and $80 to the committee backing Tim Holden for Congress.